Process of and apparatus for filtering saccharine juices



(N M d 1.)

8 w. EASSIE & 0. SCHMIDT.

PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR FILTERING SAUCHARINE JUIUES. No. 542,586.

Patented July 9, 1895.

W/TNESSES: a W

UNITED STATES PATENT Orrrcn.

WILLIAM EASSIE AND OTTO SCHMIDT, OF KEALIA, KAUAI, HAWAII.

PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR FILTERING SACCHARINE JUICES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 542,586, dated July 9, 1895.

Application filed June 5, 1894- Serial No. 513,513. (No model.) Patented in Hawaii January 24, 1894.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that we, WILLIAM EASSIE, a citizen of the United States, and OTTO SCHMIDT, a subject of the Emperor of Germany, both at present residing at Kealia, Kauai, Hawaii, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Apparatus for Filtering saccharine Juices, (for which we have already obtained Letters Patent of the Hawaiian Government, dated January 24, 1894,) of which the following is a specification.

Our invention is in the nature of an im proved apparatus for filtering saccharine juices and sirups; and it consists in the special construction and arrangement of the battery of filters with provision for charging, discharging, and working the same, as will be hereinafter more fully described.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the entire battery of filtering-tanks, with provision for working the same and washing and raising the sand. Fig. 2 is an enlarged half-section of one of the filtering-tanks and Fig. 3 is a plan view of the same with layers of the filtering material successively broken away.

A A A, 860., represent a battery of filteringtanks arranged in an inclined series upon an elevated framework or trestle, each tank from front to rear being behind and slightly above the one in front, so as to permit of a continuous working or transfer of contents of the higher tank to the next lower one.

. tanks are preferably arranged in two rows side by side, with an inclined feed-pipe L between the rows. This pipeis for the purpose of conveying the unfiltered juices to the several tanks, and it has for each tank a branch outlet L, controlled by valve L H and J are pipe-connections and valves connecting the base of one filter with the upper part of the next lower one. These pipes and valves are also used for the sweetening off of the battery of tanks before washing the sands.

I is a discharge-pipe and stop-cock for filtered juice.

K is a steam-pipe and valve for admitting steam-pressure beneath the filtering material.

N is a sand-washer composed of an inclined trough having its front end the lower and discharging at its rear end into the lower front and of another such trough. WVithin each of these troughs is arranged a spiral conveyer end stirrer N, whose shaft bears a worm-wheel N at the lower end of the trough, which wormwheel meshes with a worm N on a cross-shaft bearing a pulley N, which is driven by a belt N from a similar pulley and belt in the rear. After the sand has taken up all of the albumen, dirt, and other foreign matter in the juices or sirups, it is discharged into this washer, the Water for washing the sand being admitted through any number of openings under the screw-conveyer and sand, the sand being washed in its passage toward the discharge end into washer No. 2, and the dirty water and foreign substances passing off at opening marked Q. At the discharge end of the last sand-washer is a carrier-belt 0, onto which the sand is dumped by the last conveyor and is carried to an elevator. Flanges O prevent the sand from falling off this carrier-belt. The elevator M consists of the usual endless belt, with buckets attached to it, which scoop up the clean sand and liftit to the highest of the tanks, from which point it may be distributed to the tanks below in charging these filters. As shown, there is simply a reservoir situated above the highest tank A, into which the sand is delivered by the elevator. From this reservoir the sand is delivered to the several tanks by a chute (not shown) which has an opening with a gate or slide over each tank, throughwhich the sand is delivered to each tank. In removing the sand from the tanks, this is effected by workmen with shovels.

The tan ks A are each made alike, and they consist of a bottom F, forming a chamber for filtered juices, and having throughout its sur face a series of short pillars 01 supports P. A plate E, of perforated boiler-iron, rests upon these pillars. A fine-wire screen D is arranged upon the perforated plate, and a filter-cloth O is arranged upon the Wire screen to prevent the sand from passing through. The upper portion of the tank is flanged at its bottom edge, as at a, and this flange is bolted to a corresponding flange b of the lower section F with a tight joint. Upon the top of the cloth 0 is placed the filtering-sand-B; which is preferably comminuted limestone of-coral reefs. After filtering the juices through this sand for some time there accumulates throughout the sand a skin or web of viscid matter, which is mainly composed of the accumulated albumen and dirt of the juices. This ordinarily will soon stop all filtration. By our in vention, whenever the filtrationbegins to Lpro-' ceed slowly on account of these films or skins, we introduce into the subjacent chamber F of each tank a forcible blastof steam through pipe K, and this, rising through the perforated plate, screen, and cloth, causes a shifting of position in each grain of sand throughout the mass that breaks up the skins or films of albumen and restoresthe efficiency ofthesa'n'd filter by allowing the juice to pass. This-may be'done as often as required;

In this process; also, the filtering" material serves to neutralize any acidity that maybe in the juices-and" prevents the development of any acidity during the process of'filtra-tion.

It will thus be seen that the processof-filter' ing the juice and keepingit free from'acidi'ty iseffe'cted in'a very-simple,- pract'ical, and efficient way.

Having thus described our invention; what We claim as 'new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The filtering tank for saccharine juices consisting of the upper section A, lower section B with outlets H I J, pillars or supports P,-and steam pipe K, the said sections being flanged and bolted together, a perforated plate resting upon the pillars, and a filtering mediumsustained upon said perforated plate substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. The sand filtering apparatus, consisting of albattery of vtanks arranged in inclined series and provided with a feed pipe with inlets and valves for the several tanks, transfer pipes and valves'co'nnecting the tanks, inclined troughs with rotary spiral conveyers, arranged to washand convey the-sand from onetofthe "other, a carrier belt and an endlesselevator 'belt' -Wit h buckets arranged to carry the-washed 'sand to the highest tanks substantially as and "for "the purpose described.

' WILLIAM EASSIE;

' OTTO "SCHMIDT. Witnesses:

W; Hi} MCINERNY, JpL. ToRBER'r: 

